Mischief Maker

I bumped into the redhead that I had met in the Castle Market before.

"You're never going to reach the princess that way, dummy." said the girl with a smirk.

Gee, ya don't say? Still steaming from the encounter with the guard. I think you can't read, little scrub face...

But still, I gave an embarrassed nod. Great. So there was an audience. Wonderful. "Yeah, I mean, what happened to the guest is always right?"

"You know the saying is the *customer* is always right, right?"

"It is? There's only one shop where I come from and the shopkeeper Buzo always calls everyone wrong.'That Deku cake cost five Rupees last time I was here!' ' No, no. It was always fifteen Rupees. Look at the price tag, do you see five Rupees on there? No? I thought you are most certainly wrong. Now pay up!'"

The girl stifled a laugh and admitted "Well that's certainly one way to get money from customers!" Soon though, she sobered up and asked "Well, Fairy Boy, you needed to get to the princess for your 'super secret mission' right? Look, do you see over there?" She pointed to a small patch of green on a wall in the distance. I squinted and nodded. "That over there is a patch of ivy that the soldiers are too lazy to cut. If you climb that, you might have a guard or two you'll have to dodge, after that you should be right at the inner moat of the castle. I know because I've used it before- godesses, my dad had a cow when he found out- he's actually rather funny to watch when he's mad... Oh! But anyway, I bet you can get into the castle that way."

"Th-thanks!" I was surprised and a little bit shocked that she was giving me such valuable information.

"Before you go, take this." Redhead handed me something that looked a bit like a kazoo, only it was painted like a cucoo with a crest of painted feather sticking out on top.

"That thing is a 'Cucoo Caller.' It imitates a rooster crowing, which usually helps us corral all the cucoos and allows us herd them into them in their pens when it's necessary. The funny thing is that ,as lazy as my father is, he always manages to wake up at the sound of the morning Cucoos. So with that in mindthis should get him up in no time! Keep it when you're done. There's plenty more where that thing came from.

"Sure thing!"

"one last thing! Tell him that Malon is waiting at the castle entrance."

"So your name is Malon?"

"The one and only!"

"Thanks Malon! I won't forget this!"

"just don't ruin your chance with the princess! then well both have our hides whooped!"

I found myself on a cliff surveying the castle gate. There I still saw little malon singing away as i had left her just half an hour ago. But how could i talk to her without the guard noticing? I came upon a less than perfect solution "The slingshot cant hurt too bad...you know... as long as I don't fling it too hard..." I pulled out my slingshot and set the notch at a little bit more than halfway with my deku nut with a piece of paper I had scrounged from the pits of my pouch with the words "look up"tied ot it and let fly.

It hit her head on, making her singing go more than a little out of pitch. she picked up the projectile and looked up to my face and locked eyes. she gestured to the nut and threw her hands up into the air in universal what-the-heck-was-that-for?!-gesture. I scratched my head and shrugged my shoulders. I pointed to the ground, then to to myself, and threw my fists in the air in victory.

She rolled her eyes and nodded and mouthed * Yes, I see that.* a thumb in front of her pointing towards a distants guard and mouthed *shoo shoo! Guards coming!* I nodded and sprinted away... Right after I gave a little victory grin.

My first friend out of the forest... it felt good.